Most of my articles here at Speculative Faith concern the intersection of speculative fiction and my belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Sometimes I focus primarily on speculative fiction, but today, I’m tipping the scales the other way and writing primarily about my faith. After all, the end of the Mayan calendar notwithstanding, another Christmas is approaching.

Earlier this week there was a late-night police action in my neighborhood–an unruly party, perhaps, or some sort of illegal drug or gang activity or possibly individuals succumbing to anger and venting in a display of domestic violence.

Ah, it’s Christmas.

We celebrate Jesus, good news to the world because He brings peace on earth, He gives joy to all mankind. Yet so obviously, many people do not understand.

How have we Christians failed to tell the world the truth about Jesus? No, He is not a cute newborn or a religious version of Santa Claus. He is the image of the invisible God. In Him all the fullness of Deity dwells.

So what? Jesus isn’t here now.

He Himself answered this when He was talking with His disciples–first, He showed the Father, but also by going away, He made it possible for the Holy Spirit to come.

Israel had God in their midst. They had prophets who told them what God said, and priests who would make sacrifice on their behalf.

The disciples had Jesus with them, beside them, talking, teaching, living, performing miracles.

But the Church has God in us, each one. Consequently I enjoy the fellowship of God–His presence, His counsel, His conviction, comfort, truth, assurance. He holds my hand and to Him I cling. He is with me when waters overflow. He is the One in whom I will boast–not in wisdom, riches, or might.

Jesus coming in the flesh made this relationship with God possible. That’s why it’s important to celebrate Christmas. It’s the single-most pivotal event in history. Some may think Easter holds that place, but Easter is actually an extension of Christmas.

Jesus, born of Mary, was God’s first step onto earth in the skin of Man. It was the beginning. Everything that night of Jesus’s birth was a shout–the great, glorious plan of redemption, worked out before the foundations of the world, was unfolding. It was being revealed to us who, through Him, would become believers in God.

Christmas is the ultimate Reveal! It’s the greatest ah-ha moment since time began.

But so many look past it or don’t get it. Perhaps too many have relied on slogans–put Christ back in Christmas (what does that mean? Include a manger scene in our decorations? Say Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays?) Perhaps we’ve allowed the birth events to dominate the meaning of Christmas. As important as was the virgin birth, the angelic announcement to the shepherds, the coming of the magi, the real “magic” of Christmas is this “first step” in God’s plan to rescue His creation. It’s begun. And praise God that it is so!

Maybe even go tell it on the mountain. Or in a story.